DELSAN TRANSPORT LINES, INC. vs C & A Construction, Inc. G.R. No. 15603 Octo!"r 1, #003 TOPIC: EMERGENCY RULE or DOCTRINE OF SUDDEN PERIL PONENTE : YNARES-SANTIAGO, J.
A$T%OR: TAN NOTES:
CASE LA' DOCTRINE: Under the emergency rule, one who suddenly fnds himsel in a place o danger, and is required to act without time to consider the best means that may be adopted to avoid the impending danger, is not guilty o negligence, i he ails to adopt what subsequently and upon reection may appear to have been a better method, UNLESS the danger in which he fnds himsel is brought about by his own negligence (ACTS) Respondent Respondent C A Constr!"t#on, In". $%s en&%&ed '( t)e N%t#on%* +o!s#n& A!t)or#t( N+A to "onstr!"t % dee"tor $%** %t t)e /#t%s Re"*%0%t#on Are% #n /#t%s, Tondo, M%n#*%. T)e pro1e"t $%s "o0p*eted #n 2334 '!t #t $%s not 5or0%**( t!rned o6er to N+A. O"to'er 3, 2334: M7/ De*s%n E8press, % s)#p o$ned %nd oper%ted '( pet#t#oner De*s%n Tr%nsport Tr%nsport L#nes, In"., %n")ored %t t)e N%6ot%s F#s) Port Port 5or t)e p!rpose o5 #nst%**#n& % "%r&o p!0p %nd "*e%r#n& t)e "%r&o o#* t%n9. O"to'er ;, 2334, 2:;; 0n: C%pt%#n De0etr#o T. T. J!sep o5 M7/ De*s%n E8press re"e#6ed % report 5ro0 )#s r%d#o )e%d oper%tor #n J%p%n t)%t % t(p)oon $%s &o#n& to )#t M%n#*% #n %'o!t e#&)t < )o!rs. O"to'er 2, 2334, <:=> %0: C%pt. J!sep tr#ed to see9 s)e*ter %t t)e Nort) +%r'or '!t "o!*d not enter t)e %re% 'e"%!se #t $%s %*re%d( "on&ested. O"to'er 2, 2334, 2;:;; %.0: C%pt. J!sep de"#ded to drop %n")or %t t)e 6#"#n#t( o5 /#t%s 0o!t), 4 0#*es %$%( 5ro0 % N%po"or po$er '%r&e. At t)%t t#0e, t)e $%6es $ere %*re%d( re%")#n& < to 2; 5eet )#&). C%pt. J!sep ordered )#s "re$ to &o 5!** %)e%d to "o!nter t)e $#nd $)#") $%s dr%&&#n& t)e s)#p to$%rds t)e N%po"or po$er '%r&e. To To %6o#d "o**#s#on, C%pt. J!sep J!sep ordered ordered % 5!** stop o5 t)e 6esse*. +e s!""eeded s!""eeded #n %6o#d#n& t)e po$er po$er '%r&e, '!t $)en $)en t)e en&#ne $%s re-st%rted %nd t)e s)#p $%s 0%ne!6ered 5!** %stern, #t )#t t)e dee"tor $%** "onstr!"ted '( respondent. T)e d%0%&e "%!sed '( t)e #n"#dent %0o!nted to P4>?,23<.4. Respondent de0%nded p%(0ent o5 t)e d%0%&e 5ro0 pet#t#oner '!t t)e *%tter re5!sed to p%(. Conse@!ent*(, respondent respondent *ed % "o0p*%#nt 5or d%0%&es $#t) t)e Re&#on%* Re&#on%* Tr#%* Tr#%* Co!rt o5 M%n#*%. In #ts %ns$er, pet#t#oner "*%#0ed t)%t t)e d%0%&e $%s "%!sed '( % 5ort!#to!s e6ent. T)e tr#%* "o!rt d#s0#ssed t)e "o0p*%#nt. It r!*ed r!*ed t)%t pet#t#oner $%s $%s not &!#*t( o5 ne&*#&en"e ne&*#&en"e 'e"%!se #t )%d t%9en %** t)e ne"ess%r( pre"%!t#ons to %6o#d t)e %""#dent. A**+in- t" /""r-"nc ru+"/, it !so+v"2 *"tition"r o +i!i+it !"cus" t" +tt"r 2 no o**ortunit to 2"4ut"+ "i- t" !"st so+ution to tr"t"nin- sitution. It 5!rt)er )e*d t)%t e6en #5 t)e 0%ne!6er ")osen '( pet#t#oner $%s % $ron& 0o6e, #t "%nnot 'e )e*d * #%'*e %s t)e "%!se o5 t)e d%0%&e s!st%#ned '( respondent $%s t(p)oon B%tr#n&B, $)#") #s %n %"t o5 God. T)e Co!rt o5 Appe%*s, Appe%*s, re6ersed %nd set %s#de t)e de"#s#on de"#s#on o5 t)e tr#%* "o!rt. "o!rt. It 5o!nd C%pt. J!sep J!sep &!#*t( o5 ne&*#&en"e #n de"#d#n& to tr%ns5er t)e 6esse* to t)e Nort) +%r'or on*( %t <:=> %.0. o5 O"to'er 2, 2334 %nd t)!s )e*d pet#t#oner *#%'*e 5or d%0%&es. •
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+en"e, pet#t#oner *ed t)e #nst%nt pet#t#on "ontend#n& t)%t C%pt. J!sep $%s not ne&*#&ent #n $%#t#n& !nt#* <:=> #n t)e 0orn#n& o5 O"to'er 2, 2334 'e5ore tr%ns5err#n& t)e 6esse* to t)e Nort) +%r'or #n%s0!") %s #t $%s not s)o$n t)%t )%d t)e tr%ns5er 'een 0%de e%r*#er, t)e 6esse* "o!*d )%6e so!&)t s)e*ter.
ISS$ES7: )et)er C%pt. J!sep $%s ne&*#&ent. %ELD) Yes Pet#t#on den#ed. RATIO) Art#"*e 2? o5 t)e C#6#* Code pro6#des t)%t $)oe6er '( %"t or o0#ss#on "%!ses d%0%&e to %not)er, t)ere 'e#n& 5%!*t or ne&*#&en"e, #s o'*#&ed to p%( 5or t)e d%0%&e done. S!") 5%!*t or ne&*#&en"e, #5 t)ere #s no pre-e8#st#n& "ontr%"t!%* re*%t#on 'et$een t)e p%rt#es, #s "%**ed % @!%s#-de*#"t. T)e test 5or deter0#n#n& t)e e8#sten"e o5 ne&*#&en"e #n % p%rt#"!*%r "%se 0%( 'e st%ted %s 5o**o$s: D#d t)e de5end%nt #n do#n& t)e %**e&ed ne&*#&ent %"t !se t)e re%son%'*e "%re %nd "%!t#on $)#") %n ord#n%r( pr!dent person $o!*d )%6e !sed #n t)e s%0e s#t!%t#on I5 not, t)en )e # s &!#*t( o5 ne&*#&en"e. T)e Co!rt o5 Appe%*s $%s "orre"t #n )o*d#n& t)%t C%pt. J!sep $%s ne&*#&ent #n de"#d#n& to tr%ns5er t)e 6esse* on*( %t <:=> #n t)e 0orn#n& o5 O"to'er 2, 2334. As e%r*( %s 2:;; 0#dn#&)t o5 O"to'er ;, 2334, )e re"e#6ed % report 5ro0 )#s r%d#o )e%d oper%tor #n J%p%n t)%t % t(p)oon $%s &o#n& to )#t M%n#*% %5ter < )o!rs. T)#s, not$#t)st%nd#n&, )e d#d not)#n&, !nt#* <:=> #n t)e 0orn#n& o5 O"to'er 2, 2334, $)en )e de"#ded to see9 s)e*ter %t t)e Nort) +%r'or, $)#") !n5ort!n%te*( $%s %*re%d( "on&ested. T)e nd#n& o5 ne&*#&en"e "%nnot 'e re'!tted !pon proo5 t)%t t)e s)#p "o!*d not )%6e so!&)t re5!&e %t t)e Nort) +%r'or e6en #5 t)e tr%ns5er $%s done e%r*#er. It #s not t)e spe"!*%t#6e s!""ess or 5%#*!re o5 % de"#s#on t)%t deter0#nes t)e e8#sten"e o5 ne&*#&en"e #n t)e present "%se, '!t t)e 5%#*!re to t%9e #00ed#%te %nd %ppropr#%te %"t#on !nder t)e "#r"!0st%n"es. C%pt. J!sep, desp#te 9no$*ed&e t)%t t)e t(p)oon $%s to )#t M%n#*% #n < )o!rs, "o0p*%"ent*( $%#ted 5or t)e *%pse o5 0ore t)%n < )o!rs t)#n9#n& t)%t t)e t(p)oon 0#&)t ")%n&e d#re"t#on. +e "%nnot "*%#0 t)%t )e $%#ted 5 or t)e s!n to r#se #nste%d o5 0o6#n& t)e 6esse* %t 0#dn#&)t #00ed#%te*( %5ter re"e#6#n& t)e report 'e"%!se o5 t)e d#H"!*t( o5 tr%6e*#n& %t n#&)t. T)e )o!r o5 <:=> %.0. #s $%( p%st s!nr#se. F!rt)er0ore, )e d#d not tr%ns5er %s soon %s t)e s!n rose 'e"%!se, %""ord#n& to )#0, #t $%s not 6er( "*o!d( %nd t)ere $%s no $e%t)er d#st!r'%n"e (et. )en )e #&nored t)e $e%t)er report not$#t)st%nd#n& re%son%'*e 5ores#&)t o5 )%r0, C%pt. J!sep s)o$ed %n #ne8"!s%'*e *%"9 o5 "%re %nd "%!t#on $)#") %n ord#n%r( pr!dent person $o!*d )%6e o'ser6ed #n t)e s%0e s#t!%t#on. +%d )e 0o6ed t)e 6esse* e%r*#er, )e "o!*d )%6e )%d &re%ter ")%n"es o5 nd#n& % sp%"e %t t)e Nort) +%r'or "ons#der#n& t)%t t)e N%6ot%s Port $)ere t)e( do"9ed $%s 6er( ne%r Nort) +%r'or. E6en #5 t)e *%tter $%s %*re%d( "on&ested, )e $o!*d st#** )%6e t#0e to see9 re5!&e #n ot)er ports. T)e tr#%* "o!rt erred #n %pp*(#n& t)e e0er&en"( r!*e. Under t)#s r!*e, one $)o s!dden*( nds )#0se*5 #n % p*%"e o5 d%n&er, %nd #s re@!#red to %"t $#t)o!t t#0e to "ons#der t)e 'est 0e%ns t)%t 0%( 'e %dopted to %6o#d t)e #0pend#n& d%n&er, #s not &!#*t( o5 ne&*#&en"e, #5 )e 5%#*s to %dopt $)%t s!'se@!ent*( %nd !pon ree"t#on 0%( %ppe%r to )%6e 'een % 'etter 0et)od, !n*ess t)e d%n&er #n $)#") )e nds )#0se*5 #s 'ro!&)t %'o!t '( )#s o$n ne&*#&en"e. C*e%r*(, t)e e0er&en"( r!*e #s not %pp*#"%'*e to t)e #nst%nt "%se 'e"%!se t)e d%n&er $)ere C%pt. J!sep 5o!nd )#0se*5 $%s "%!sed '( )#s o$n ne&*#&en"e.
DISSENTING'CONC$RRING OPINIONS7 :
